Pro-Life News in Brief.

Michigan Ballot Question Could Expand Embryonic Stem Cell Research

Michigan pro-lifers and others opposed to research that uses stem cells obtained by killing human embryos have joined together to fight against a proposed ballot initiative that would greatly expand such research in their state.

Supporters of the destructive research submitted 570,373 signatures to the Michigan Secretary of State July 7 that brings them closer to putting their proposal on the November ballot, according to the Detroit Free Press. The state must certify that at least 380,126 signatures are valid.

Groups including Right to Life of Michigan and the Michigan Catholic Conference have formed an organization called MiCAUSE: Michigan Citizens Against Unrestricted Science and Experimentation to oppose the ballot initiative.

"This proposal is deliberately deceptive," MiCAUSE spokesman Dave Doyle said in a press release. "This proposal will allow unregulated and unrestricted experimentation on human embryos."

Doyle pointed to several examples of confusing legalese in the ballot wording that seems to limit embryonic research but in reality will do nothing to prevent such destructive experiments.

"The proposal states that nothing shall be interpreted to alter or abrogate the current law banning cloning," Doyle explained. "However, leaders of this proposal have already introduced bills in the Michigan legislature that would legalize human cloning by deceptively changing the current definition of human cloning to a misleading definition which would allow researchers to create cloned human embryos. This proposal will permit the legalization of cloning."